Water-powered and water-cleansed garbage grinder



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NYEIMTk Sept. l, 1959 .1. R. -HOAGLUND WATER-POWEREDAND WATER-CLEANSED GARBAGE GRINDER Filed Jan. 3, 1958 Qjchk @lo Sept. l,1959 .1.R. HoAGLUND WATER-POWERED AND WATER-CLEANSED GARBAGE GRINDERFiled Jan. 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent r WATER-POWEREDAND WATER-CLEANSED GARBAGE GRINDER John R. Hoaglund, Rockford, Ill.

Application January 3, 1958, Serial No. 706,968

Claims. (Cl. 241-42) This invention relates generally to waste disposaldevices and more specifically to a garbage disposal unit particularlyadapted for use in home kitchens.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel water-powered wastegrinding and disposal unit that is exceptionally compact and yetoperates with a powerful, positive -grinding action. It is also anobject to provide a unit of this type having larger effective grindingsurfaces than prior known units of comparable size and compactness.

It is a further object to provide an improved unit of the abovecharacter wherein the water utilized to power the -grinding mechanism isthereafter directed over the grinding surfaces in a smooth, cleansingflow without splashing. It is a related object to provide a grindingmachine `of this type whose rotating elements are eifectively lubricatedby the same water supply used to power and to clean the grindingelements.

It is a more detailed object to provide a waste disposal unit having agrinding mechanism driven by a novel water-powered rotor arranged tooperate with a flywheel action that smooths out the -grinding operationand stores up energy enabling the mechanism to effectively shred solid,tough particles of waste material.

It is a collateral object to provide a water motor for a waste disposalunit of the above type that is in hydraulic balance and therefore doesnot require a central shaft or supporting bearings.

It is an additional object to provide a water powered waste disposalunit that is reliable, foolproof, and economical to manufacture andoperate.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the attached detailed description and upon reference to thedrawings in which:

Figure l is a vertical section taken along line 1 1 in Figure 2 withsome parts shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the waste disposal unit shown in Fig.1, taken along the line 22 in that gure;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 3-3 inFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective View of the major parts comprising thedisposal unit shown in Fig. 1.

While the invention will be described in connection with a preferredembodiment, it will be understood that I do not intend to limit theinvention to that embodiment. On the contrary, I intend to cover suchalternative embodiments and constructions as may be included within' thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

Turning rst to Fig. l, there is shown a waste disposal unit constructedin accordance with the present invention mounted beneath a sink or tubof which only a portion of the bottom 11 is shown. In the embodimentillustrated, the unit 10 comprises an upper cylindrical housing 12 and afunnel-shaped bottom portion 13. To provide access to the interior ofthe unit, the housing 12 has a top opening into which is threaded aconventional sink drain unit 14 carrying a removable stopper 15. One ormore conventional abutment screws 16 2,902,225 Patented Sept. l, 1959Cie may be provided in the top of housing 12 to accurately position theunit beneath the sink. The bottom 13 tapers down to an annular exhaustopening 17 which is connected to the iluid sewage disposal facilitiesavailable.

Within the housing 12, and forming a waste receiving cavity beneath thedrain 14, is a funnel-shaped skirt 18 formed integrally with the wallsof the housing 12. The skirt 18 also defines, together with the wall ofhousing 12, an annular chamber, triangular in cross section, at thebottom of the housing to which, later, more detailed reference will bemade. It may be noted at this time that this chamber opens inwardly intothe waste-receiving cavity by the provision of peripherally spaced,arcuate openings 19 formed at the bottom of the skirt 18. Disposedbeneath the skirt 18 and in communication with the waste receivingcavity is a grinding unit 20 adapted to be driven by a water powereddriving unit 30.

It is a feature of the invention that t-he grinding unit 20 and thedriving unit 30, taken together, form a generally at, cylindricalassembly which is sandwiched between the housing 12 and the bottomportion 13 to form the compact waste disposal unit 11i. To secure theunit 1@ in assembled relation, a plurality of bolts 21 are seated in thebottom 13 and extended through the driving unit 39 into threadedengagement with the housing 12.

In accordance with the present invention, the driving yunit 30 includesa journaled rotor 31 operatively connected to the grinding unit 20 andhaving closely encased propelling vanes against which water underpressure may be directed so as to positively drive the rotor and thusoperate the grinding unit. in the present embodiment, the rotor 31comprises an annular cage-like structure best shown in Fig. 4 whichsupports a plurality of circumferentially spaced and radially slidableimpeller vanes 32. In the present embodiment there are eight evenlyspaced vanes. For journalling the rotor 31, an annular bottom ring orplate 33 having a center opening 34 is provided.

The rotor 31 rests on the plate 33 and has a depending annular bearingring 35 formed integrally therewith which fits loosely within theopening 34. The rotor 31 and its ring 35 are preferably formed of abearing material, such as aluminum or bronze, so that the rotor mayfreely revolve on the bottom plate 33.

For closely encasing the impeller vanes 32, an annular, invertedcup-shaped enclosure 36 having an outercylindrical wall 37 and an innercylindrical wall 38 is fitted over the rotor 31 and into abutment withthe bottom plate 33. The enclosure walls 37, 38 are spaced so that theimpeller vanes 32 can be slid radially from the rotor 31 into engagementwith the outer enclosure wall 37, or the vanes can be fully retractedwithin rotor 31 where they will engage the inner enclosure wall 38. Whena vane 32 is fully extended into engagement with the wall 37 itcompletely blocks an annular passage formed by plate 33, rotor 31 andenclosure 36, so that introducing water under pressure into this passageagainst the eX tended vane will positively drive the vane and thus turnt-he rotor 31.

In order to control the radial sliding movement of the vanes 32 into theannular passage in which they are driven by Water under pressure and toblock this passage so that the water pressure may exert a positive forceagainst an extended vane, arcuate cams 41, 42 and 43, 44, are provided,as can be best seen in Fig. 2. The outer cams 41, 43 are preferablyintegral portions of the outer enclosure wall which extend inwardly fromthe wall 37 to closely surround the outer periphery of rotor 31 andthereby ef- 'fectively block the annular, water pressure passage formedlbetween rotor 31 and the enclosure 36. The inner cams 42, 44 areintegral portions of the inner enclosure wall 38 and are positioned tourge the slidable vanes 32 outwardly into contact with the outerenclosure wall 37 ad- 3 jacent the points where cams 41, 43 have blockedthe annular passage. The blocking cams 41, 43 -have curved portions 45and 46, respectively, for urging the slidable vanes 32 inwardly as therotor 31 revolves.

Thus, Yas the rotor -31 revolves `in the direction of the arrow shown inFig. 2, the slidable vanes 32 are successively urged inwardly by thecurved cam portions 45, 46 so that they pass around the blocking cams41, 43. Upon further/rotation beyond the cams 41, 43 the vanes 32 areurged outwardly into contact with the outer enclosure wall 37 bytheinner cams 42, 44. After passing one of the cams 42, 44 each v anebecomes, Lin effect, a piston movable in an arcuate closed cylinderdefined by the enclosure 36, the plate 33, the rotor 31, and thejust-passed cam 41 or 43.

`Pursuant to the invention, water under pressure is introduced into theclosed annular passage behind the impeller vanes 32 as they are urgedoutwardly by the inner cams 42, ,44, vand is discharged from the passagebefore the cams are again urged inwardlylby the outer cams 41, 4.3. Inthe present embodiment, water is introduced into the passage througharcuate openings 51, 52, formed in the bottom plate V33, and isdischarged `from the passage through generally triangular-shapedopenings 53, 54 formed in the top of the enclosure'36. For conductingwater to the openingsl51, 52, an annular channel 55 is formed in theupper wallaof the bottom portion 13 of the disposal unit. NWater underpressure is supplied to the annular channel S through a passage V56,Iformed as an integralportion of the bottom113, and a pipe`57 threadablycoupled thereto and extending from a suitable,V convenient source ofwater.

rlo brieiiy summarize the operation of the driving unit 30, it can beseen that when water under pressure enters the 4annular passage, formedby the rotor31,-the bottom plate 33 and enclosure'36, through theopenings 51, 52, it positively urges an impeller vane '32 before it, andthus drives the rotor 31. As Vthe rotor 31 rotates,isuccessive ones ofthe vanes 32 are cammed outwardly by the inner cams V42, 44 intotherenclosed` passage and thus into the path of the owing water. i

As therotorcontinues to revolve, the slidahle vanes 32 aresuccessivelycarried into` contact with the cam portions 45, 46 and arecammed inwardly. The water trappedrbetween two ofthe formerly extendedvanes `32 is forced with a pump-like action upwardly through theopenings 53, 5 4 and thus is discharged from the annular passage.

It is Yof significance to note that the rotor 31 is in hydraulic balancesincethe forces tending to revolve the rotor are spaced 180 degrees`around the rotors periphery. This tends to produce a smooth, powerfulrotor drive with a minimum of friction between the rotor yand its fixedsupport. It should also benoted lthattrhe construction of the drivingunitr3tl is such that the vanes 32 function as a series of pistons andthus positively -drive the rotor, which may be A,sharply contrasted withan impositive, water-wheel type ofoperation. It will, therefore, beappreciated that the fdriving unit 30, although compact, is quitepowerful.

Further in accordance with the invention, the grinding unit `20,11or'rg1prises sets of vertically disposed grinding elements arrangedwithin the annular rotor 31`andconnected to be drivenrthereby. In thepresentemhodirnent, a disct61, secured to the rotor 31, carries aplurality lof upstanding inner grinding elements 62 that cooperate witha plurality of outer grinding elements .63 formed integrally on theinner enclosure wall 38. The cooperating grinding elements 62k and 63have inter-htting saw teeth which, upon relative movement of the igninding elements, shred or chew interposed ,pieces of waste material sothat the material may thereafterkbe conveniently disposedof as aliquidor sludge. To impart addedV strength p and c rigidity to vthe grindingStructure,

the upstanding grinding elements 62 lean slightly in the direction oftheir rota-tion, as can be seen in Fig. 2.

To secure the disc 61 on the rotor 31 and thus drive the inner grindingelements 62, a plurality of spaced lugs extend from the periphery of thedisc so as to underlie the bearing ring 35 of the rotor 31. The lugs arebolted or screwed directly `to the bearing ring (see Fig. 1) so that theentire assembly of the rotor 31 and the grinding disc 6,1rotates as oneunit.

Inno'peration, waste particles fall upon the disc 61 which is rapidlyrotatedby the driving rotor 31. The waste is iiung outwardlybycentrifugallforce to be caught and chewed between the cooperating sawteeth on the grinding elements 62, 63. When the particles of waste arereduced to a sufficiently small size, they fall downwardly through theannular gap between the lower edge of the bearing ring 35 and theperiphery of the disc 61.

Since the grinding unit 20 is located within the driving unit 30, therapidlyrotating rotor 31, the vanes A32, and the entrapped water in thesurrounding annular passage, exert `what may be called a ywheel effecton the rotating grinding unit. The Lenergy stored in the rotatingportions of the driving unit 30 is .thus readily available to overcomethe resistance of solidtough Vpar- -ticles'being shredded between thegrindinglteeth of elements-62, 63. All ofthe rotating mass of thedriving unit 30 Vis on the outside of the grinding teeth, and thereforehas a significant mechanical advantage to aid inovercomingwhateverresistance the lgrinding lteeth may encounter. For this further reason,the disclosed unit is smoothV and powerful in operation.

Itis a further feature of the invention that the water which is used topower the unit 10 also serves to both lubricatetherotating parts and towash the waste through and clean thev grinding elements. VWith referenceto lubricati0n, it can be seen that those portions of the `rotor 31`vand the-bearing ring 35 which rotatingly engage the bottom vplate 33,are Vimmediately adjacent the annular passage into whichA water underpressure is introduced. Thus, the inherent leakage of the 'water fromthis passage tends''to lubricatethe relatively slidingportions of thedriven, rotor. l

y Bor .directing the water from the annular water pressure passage sothat it will ow smoothly over the cooperating grinding sur-faces, thewater vis discharged from openings 5,3, S4 into baffle chambers 71, onlyone of which is shown. (see-Fig. It will bevremembered that as the rotor31 is rap-idly revolved, water is discharged upwardly inV spurtsythrough the discharge openings-53, 54 in enclosure V36. The bafliechambers 71 formed over each rif-,the openings 53, 54, Vcontain andsmooth out these spurts Aand thus provide a continuous, uniform `ow oiwater overthe grinding elements.

Formingeach of the chambers 71A is a Wall portion 72extendingvdownwardly from the skirtf18 to enclose a portionlof thetriangularly-section'ed chamber between the housing 12 and the skirt 1S.Venting the bafde chambers 71- are openings A73 vformed in each of thewallsf72. From the openings 73the Water is, free to spill into thechamber between housing 12 and skirt 1.8, and thereafter iiovv throughtthe openings 19 to .wash over the grinding element'sf62, By Ybafflingthe spurting water discharged from the openings 53, 5.4 `by temporarilyenclosing itWithinthe chambers 71, the water iiowsin a more' even andluniform stream from Vthe openings Y19 Without, splashing or,turbulence. 'Ihe water iiow ythus better able towash thewaste from thegrinding elements and keep rthe grinding unit 20 clean.

l *claim as my invention:

. l. Awater-powered, waste disposal unit comprising, in combination, acylindrical outer housingdefining a wastereceivinfg cavity,.an annularledge around lthewinside of Saidrhousingan annular water-powered rotorjournaled within sai-d heusing and supported on vsaid ledge, said rotorhaving -closely, encased propelling vanes, grinding elements supportedwithin said housing and connected for being operated by the rotation ofsaid rotor, means for introducing water under pressure to said encasedpropelling vanes to positively rotate the rotor and thus drive saidgrinding elements, and means for directing the water from said vanesinto said housing so as to Wash the waste through, and clean, thegrinding elements.

2. A Water-powered Waste disposal unit comprising, in combination, acylindrical outer housing dening a waste receiving cavity, a bottommember iiXed to said housing defining an outlet opening for Waste andwater and an annular ledge around the inside of said housing, anannular, water-powered rotor within said housing and supported on saidledge, said rotor having enclosed propelling vanes, a plurality ofgrinding elements carried for rotation by said annular rotor Within itscenter opening, a group of fixed grinding elements in cooperativerelation to said rst mentioned grinding elements, means to introducewater u nder pressure to said enclosed propelling vanes to positivelyrotate the rotor and thus drive said .grinding elements, and means fordirecting the water from said vanes into said housing so as to wash theWaste through, and clean, the grinding elements.

3. In a waste disposal unit having grinding elements within a housingand a source of water pressure, a waterpofwered drive unit for operatingsaid grinding elements comprising, in combination, an annular cup-shapedenclosure having inner and outer cylindrical walls, a rotor havingradially slidable vanes and being journaled for rotation within saidenclosure between said walls, cams spaced alternately on said inner andouter walls to urge said vanes outwardly against the outer wall andinwardly within the rotor, respectively, as the rotor rotates, anannular cover plate fixed to said enclosure to retain said rotor thereinand closely overlie the extended vanes, and means for introducing Waterfrom said source of pressure behind said vanes as they are cammedoutwardly and to vent the water before the vanes are cammed inwardly sothat the rotor is positively driven by the water pressure.

4. In a waste disposal unit having a source of rotative power and ahousing with both access and exhaust openings, a waste-grinding meanscomprising, in combination,

a plurality of xed saw toothed grinding elements arranged annularlywithin said housing, each element having a set of teeth longitudinallyof said housing and in the same planes as the corresponding teeth of theother elements, a rotating element operatively connected to said sourceof power and carrying a plurality of rotatable, angularly spacedgrinding elements, each rotatable element having a set of teeth spacedlongitudinally of said housing and to interiit within the teeth of saidiixed elements, and means for directing the passage of waste from saidaccess opening to said exhaust opening through the interengaging teethof said fixed and rotatable grinding elements.

5. A water-powered, waste disposal unit comprising, in combination, acylindrical outer housing deining a waste receiving cavity, an annularledge formed on the inside of said housing, a pair of opposed arcuatecams contiguous with the inside of said housing and engaging said ledge,an annular rotor supported on said ledge and journaled for rotationbetween said cams, said rotor having a plurality of peripherally spacedand radially slidable impeller vanes, said cams being eiective to slidesaid vanes inwardly upon rotation of said rotor, an annular memberclosely overlying said rotor and supporting a second pair of opposedarcuate cams in engagement with the interior of said annular rotor andannularly spaced from said irst pair of annular cams so as to urge saidvanes outwardly upon rotation of said rotor, means for introducing waterunder pressure against the vanes at the points where said vanes arecammed outwardly and for discharging this water at the points where thevanes are cammed inwardly so as to positively and rotatively drive saidrotor, and grinding means eiective upon rotation of said rotor to shredwaste placed in said cavity.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,603,179 Wingquist Oct. 12, 1926 2,012,680 Hammes Aug. 27, 19352,337,499 Roth Dec. 21, 1943 2,604,633 McPherson July 29, 1952 2,832,546Sprague Apr. 29, 1958

